Blankenburg at the rim of the Harz mountains has close to 20,000 inhabitants and is in Wernigerode county. The city uses a black-red banner. Source: Günther 1996a. The city belonged to the state of Brunswick (Braunschweig) until 1945 and was the seat of a county there. In 1945 the county was split, and most of it (including Blankenburg city) came to the Soviet occupation zone. The western part of the county came to Lower Saxony, but was still called Blankenburg (!) until it was dissolved in the municipal reform of the seventies.

Stefan Schwoon, 19 April 2001

The county was split between the British and the Soviet occupation zones. The larger part (including Blankenburg city) became part of the Soviet zone and thus parted ways with the rest of Brunswick. The smaller part around Braunlage became part of Lower Saxony, but was still called Landkreis Blankenburg (sometimes Restkreis or 'remainder of the county' Blankenburg).